COVID-19 update

By Christopher Garrett//

Hood College has begun its spring 2021 semester with increased COVID-19 testing and the start of faculty and staff vaccinations.

Hood College has a most recent seven-day positivity rate of 0.9% with five positive cases reported since Jan. 30, compared to Frederick County’s current 5.5% positivity rate. Laurie Ward, Hood College’s spokeswoman, explained the lower numbers by stating that “everybody is following protocols.”

Hood’s all-volunteer emergency response team meets weekly to evaluate the effectiveness of the COVID-19 strategy and adjust as the situation changes. Ward said a big component of preventing complacency is “lots of positive reinforcement.”

“We reviewed the New Horizon Plan and made necessary adjustments, especially increasing weekly surveillance testing,” Ward said. Weekly testing following the winter break has increased from 10% to 25% campus wide.

Mandatory testing took place Feb. 8 in Whitaker Commons for all residential students. The line for testing wound through the building and out an open door by the bookstore, taking around 45 minutes to get through.

Regular weekly testing resumed Feb. 10. Those who want to volunteer to get tested can make a request no later than the previous Thursday by contacting wellness@hood.edu.

Like many other colleges and universities, Hood still has not returned to all in-person classes.

The 2021 spring semester begins with two class modality options, according to the Nov. 18 provost’s message. The two options are in-class and remote. Once selected, a student can only change modalities with approval of the dean of students.

The #CampusClear app is still required for daily use for all students and faculty each day they are on campus. This contact tracing app helps facilitate the campus’s efforts to identify high risk students through self-reporting.

Maryland launched its contact tracing app, MD COVID Alert, in November. This can also be used independently and will notify users when they have been near another user who has tested positive.

Maryland currently receives 11,000 vaccine doses per day and has already started administering them. The highest priority currently includes those over 65 years old, education staff and medical personnel.

Hood Faculty and staff are among the current immunization priority list, with approximately 10 randomly selected Hood personnel receiving their shot weekly. Eligibility guidelines can be found on the coronavirus.maryland.gov website.

Contact covidquestions@hood.edu for more information.